Friday Game Recaps

Among all 70 PHT venues, our two busiest games (Springfield Manor Winery and Vanish Brewery) are BOTH played on Friday night! With each of those venues welcoming more than 20 teams last weekend, we hosted a whopping 74 teams across all five weekend games:

FIRST ROUND:

Our Saturday teams were tested right out of the gate with the nightly Three Clues question:

CLUE 1: This word appears in the title of a short story written by John Cheever which was adapted into a film starring Burt Lancaster.

CLUE 2: Otitis externa is a painful condition commonly named for this type of athlete.

Apparently, there were no doctors in the house, as very few teams even ventured an attempt at the two-point bonus. Though no bonus points were doled out, most of the field earned wagering points with the correct answer of ‘swimmer’. Other first round topics included the geography of Massachusetts, the Vatican’s Swiss Guard, the layout of a Monopoly board, and this TV show:

SECOND ROUND:

A wicked bonus question opened Friday’s second round. After about half of our teams recognized the theme song to the classic TV show “The Dating Game”, NONE of our 52 Friday teams knew the name of the show’s original host: Jim Lange. Later, those teams were asked about the derivation of the jersey number worn by this ageless hockey star:

“Czech” your history books to learn about the Prague Spring. Meanwhile, our Saturday teams dealt with a second round stumper of their own. We asked the field to name any two of the three films for which Glenn Close has been nominated for a Best Actress Oscar (apart from her current nomination for “The Wife”). Only 30% of our Saturday teams gave us any two of these films: “Fatal Attraction”, “Dangerous Liaisons”, and “Albert Nobbs”, but none of those teams earned bonus points with all three correct answers. Other second round topics included the Darwin Awards, U.S. state fish, and POGs. Needless to say, none of our weekend teams recorded a perfect second round.

HALFTIME:

With President’s Day weekend upon us, both of our halftime pages dealt with Commanders-in-Chief. Our Friday teams looked at real-life U.S. Presidents, while our Saturday teams were quizzed on fictional U.S. Presidents. Overall, the average score reached 15.2 points, with all five of our perfect scores coming on Friday. Here is your weekend leaderboard at the halftime break:

THIRD ROUND:

A Triple 50/50 question highlighted each of our third rounds last weekend: the Friday teams dealt with films based on books, while the Saturday squads were forced to remember which states border Nebraska. Other third round topics included NBA star Tim Duncan, the Universal Life Church, and the 20th anniversary of this cult comedy film:

With most of the bonus questions landing at about a 20% success rate, none of our weekend teams ran the table in the third round.

FRIDAY’S FINAL QUESTION (12.5% success rate):

–> While the front side of the Nobel Prizes depicts Alfred Nobel, various designs are used for the reverse side, depending on the category. For your wager, name the TWO Nobel categories that share the SAME image on the reverse side.

SATURDAY’S FINAL QUESTION (44.4% success rate):

–> Founded in 1851, which private university was named for an organized territory of the U.S. that existed from 1787 and 1803?

Only five teams gave us Chemistry and Physics as the correct response to Friday’s final question, while nearly half of our Saturday teams knew that we were looking for Northwestern University. Congratulations to Uncle Jack (Belles’), who was the only team to post the Perfect 21 last weekend. here is your final weekend leaderboard:

FIRST HALF:

Opening round topics from last weekend included world flags, the concept of rigor mortis, the broadcasting career of Tony Romo, and this classic sci-fi cartoon:

Our weekend audio questions dealt with celebrities mentioned in song lyrics and clips from live-action Disney films. We also discussed the exploits of Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, wingtip shoes, and the tourist destination of Cape May, New Jersey. On each of the two weekend nights, the most difficult bonus question of the first half closed the second round. On Friday, only six teams knew that the best-selling studio album for the Rolling Stones was the 1978 release “Some Girls”, while only two of our Saturday teams knew that Tiffany Haddish voices a shape-shifting alien queen in the current animated film “The Lego Movie 2”. Seven weekend teams swept the first round, while five teams matched that feat by notching 36 points in the second round.

HALFTIME:

The weekend halftime pages featured topics such as the playing surfaces of various sports, romantic albums, and the captains of famous ships. Overall, our average reached 14.7 points, while three teams earned a perfect score: Low IQ (Whole Foods Market), Smarty Pants (Belles’ Sports Bar), and Irish Beer Mafia (Pretzel & Pizza Creations). Here is your halftime leaderboard from last weekend:

SECOND HALF:

As usual, we turned up the difficulty level in the second half, as we touched on topics such as the country of Iceland, the hippocampus, and the political couple of Bob and Elizabeth Dole. The most difficult bonus question of the weekend was asked at the start of Friday’s third round, as only three out of 39 Friday teams knew that the TV series “Veronica Mars” was set in the fictional town of Neptune, California. Meanwhile, each of the two most difficult wagering questions of the weekend were asked on Saturday. First up, this question in the category of English Language Oddities:

–> Often heard at the United Nations, what is the only English word that uses the letters “G-N-T” consecutively?

Only five of our Saturday teams responded correctly with sovereignty. Next, we opened Saturday’s final round with this college football throwback:

–> Thanks to the Run and Shoot offense, which quarterback set numerous NCAA records at the University of Houston while becoming the first African-American quarterback to be awarded the Heisman Trophy?

Though his NFL career never mounted to much, those distinctions refer to Andre Ware:

With just four teams earning points here, both the third and fourth rounds did not yield any perfect scores last weekend. These were your highest scoring weekend teams after four rounds of play:

FRIDAY’S FINAL QUESTION (54.1% success rate):

–> “The surface is fine and powdery. I can kick it up loosely with my toe. It does adhere in fine layers, like powdered charcoal, to the sole and sides of my boots.” For your wager, who spoke these words?

SATURDAY’S FINAL QUESTION (20.0% success rate):

–> Which world capital was given its current name when the three cities of Oea, Leptis Magna, and Sabrata merged together in the third century A.D.?

Just over half of our Friday teams earned wagering points on the final question with the correct answer of Neil Armstrong. Meanwhile, only five teams answered Saturday’s final question correctly by recognizing the “three cities” hint and turning in the response of Tripoli, Libya. Congratultions to Irish Beer Mafia (Pretzel & Pizza Creations) and Low IQ (Whole Foods Market), who each recorded a Perfect 21 last weekend by answering all wagering questions correctly. Here is your final overall leaderboard:

Despite less than optimal weather, each of our four weekend venues welcomed at least ten teams last weekend, leading to a total field size of 62 teams:

FIRST HALF:

Though most of the field breezed through the opening round wagering questions, one bonus question on each night kept nearly all of the perfect scores off the board. On Friday, only two of our 38 teams tacked on two bonus points by identifying “Above the Law” as the first starring role for future lawman Steven Seagal. Likewise, only two of our Saturday teams earned bonus points by recognizing a description of this game show currently airing on VH-1:

Saturday’s audio question featured sportscasters who had announced multiple Super Bowls, while other second round topics included African geography, the work of comedian Dennis Miller, and supernatural films such as “The Shining” and “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”. The most difficult wagering question of the first half was asked at the close of Saturday’s second round:

–> Reaching its peak in the 1990s, which music group takes its name for a slang term referring to broken capillaries found in the faces of heavy alcoholic drinkers?

Only 23% of our Saturday squads gave us the correct answer of The Gin Blossoms. Smarty Pants (Belles’) posted the only perfect score of the first round last weekend, while Not Going Gently (Belles’) was the only team to match that feat in the second stanza.

HALFTIME:

Naturally, a Super Bowl theme was featured on both halftime pages last weekend. Our overall average reached 17.3 points, while two teams posted perfect scores: Mixed Bag of Chinchillas (Springfield Manor Winery) and Deplorables (Belles’). Here is your weekend leaderboard at the halftime break:

SECOND HALF:

Third round topics from last weekend included the advertising slogans used by Southwest Airlines, the opening lines of Shakespeare, and the albums of Michael Jackson. Our Saturday teams closed their third round with a look at TV guest stars:

–> Name either one of the two actresses who respectively portrayed Rachel or Phoebe’s mother on the TV sitcom “Friends”.

Exactly half of our teams gave us either one of the two correct answers of Teri Garr or Marlo Thomas:

The most difficult wagering question of the second half was asked during Saturday’s fourth round, as only four of our teams knew that Burger King had introduced a failed 1980s marketing campaign featuring a nerdy character named Herb. None of our weekend teams earned perfect scores in either of the final two rounds. Here is your pre-final leaderboard from last weekend:

FRIDAY’S FINAL QUESTION (25.0% success rate):

–> Designed in the early 1950s, the UNIVAC was not a vacuum cleaner, but instead a forerunner of the modern computer. The first UNIVAC ever built was used for a specific purpose after it was purchased in 1951 by which bureau of the federal government?

SATURDAY’S FINAL QUESTION (25.0% success rate):

–> Respectively released in the 1930s and 1970s, which two films featured the top-ranking female characters on the American Film Institute’s list of the top movie villains of all time?

In an odd twist, both of our final questions last weekend featured the same percentage of correct answers. Friday’s correct response was the U.S. Census Buerau, while our Saturday teams scored points with both “The Wizard of Oz” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. None of our weekend teams posted a Perfect 21, as every team missed at least one wagering question. Here is your final weekend leaderboard:

Amidst the hoopla surrounding World Series XVIII, we hosted 52 teams at four “other” games of trivia last weekend:

FIRST HALF:

Opening round topics from last weekend included military films, the recent Baseball Hall of Fame voting results, and this brand of footwear:

“Boyish” song titles and eight-letter band names highlighted the weekend audio questions. Shortly after, we threw our Saturday teams for a loop with this question concerning ethnic foods:

–> Deriving its Yiddish name from a word meaning ‘a kind of bun’, which Jewish-American snack food made with dough is most often stuffed with potatoes or cheese?

While many of us have eaten a similar food called a Pierogi, that name is not derived from Yiddish, so instead we were looking for the correct answer of knish. One-third of our Saturday teams earned points here, with many of the incorrect responses carrying high wagering amounts. Four teams earned perfect scores in the first round: Uncle Jack (Belles’), Smarty Pants (Belles’), Irish Beer Mafia (Pretzel & Pizza Creations), and 38-D (Pretzel & Pizza Creations), though none of our teams could repeat the feat n the second stanza.

HALFTIME:

Last weekend’s halftime topics included celebrity couples, African geography, and British musicians. Five teams earned a perfect halftime score of 20 points, while the overall average reached 16.4 points. These were your highest scoring first half teams from last weekend:

SECOND HALF:

We wasted no time challenging our Friday teams at the start of their second half. This question regarding film trilogies proved to be the most difficult wagering question of the might:

–> Ethan Hawke and Juile Delpy starred in a trilogy of romantic dramas in which each film is set nine years after the previous installment. Which six-letter word begins the title of each of these three films?

Only three out of 20 Friday teams gave us the correct answer of “Before” (“Before Sunrise”, “Before Sunset”, Before Midnight”). Meanwhile, only three of our Saturday teams could name the Bactrian camel as the species with two humps on its back. If you need a mnemonic device, the ‘B’ in Bactrian is shaped like the back of this camel. Other second half topics included the TV series “Supergirl”, the website Etsy, and U.S. Presidents who had previously served as Governor of Ohio. We closed Saturday’s game with a look at this cinematic masterpiece:

None of our weekend teams posted a perfect score in either of the final two rounds. Here is your pre-final leaderboard from last weekend:

FRIDAY’S FINAL QUESTION (50.0% success rate):

–> Celebrating his 70th birthday later this year, who is the only musician to headline concerts at Shea Stadium, (the original) Yankee Stadium, and Giants Stadium?

SATURDAY’S FINAL QUESTION (22.2% success rate):

–> As a reference to is religious history, which U.S. city of more than one million residents is home to a minor league sports franchise named the Missions?

The correct answers to these tqo questions were Billy Joel and San Antonio. Congratulations to Uncle Jack (Belles’), who failed to miss a wagering question in its game, notching the only Perfect 21 of the weekend. these were your highest scoring teams:

Last weekend’s games of Pour House Trivia featured the end of Season XVIII and the start of Season XIX! Thanks to a pair of standing room only games on Friday, we welcomed 48 teams across four venues:

FIRST HALF:

Opening round topics from last weekend included the nursery rhyme “Simple Simon”, the horror film “Misery”, and this cartoon character whose actions might be seen in a different light today:

We stumped most of our teams with Friday’s audio question, as only 27% of the field could identify the theme song to the TV sketch comedy show “The Kids in the Hall”. Meanwhile, most of our Saturday teams failed to recognize the film roles (both live action and animated) for current late night host Stephen Colbert. Four teams earned a perfect first round score: Fan Club (Vanish Brewery), Outta Sync (Vanish Brewery), Clashburn (Vanish Brewery), and Uncle Jack (Belles’), while the only perfect score of the second round was posted by Fat Kids Are Hard to Kidnap (Vanish Brewery).

HALFTIME:

Topics such as celebrity couples and U.S. Secretaries of State graced the weekend halftime pages. The overall average reached 17.2 points, as eight teams notched a perfect score of 20 points. Here is your weekend leaderboard at the halftime break:

SECOND HALF:

Friday’s third round included these two questions which tied for the most difficult wagering question of the weekend:

–> Hold on to your chairs! Released by Id Software as a follow-up to its successful “Doom” series, which first-person shooter game later included expansion packs such as “Scourge of Armagon” and “Dissolution of Eternity”?

–> You can quote me on this one… Which common variety of fruit is also known as the Williams pear?

Despite the (not so) clever hints that were weaved into these questions, the success rate on each of these questions reached just 22%. In a bit of an odd twist, none of our Friday teams gave us both correct answers of “Quake” and Bartlett. Meanwhile, our Saturday teams dealt with topics such as zoological song titles and this TV spinoff:

Though none of our weekend teams could run the table in the third round, two teams managed to put up a perfect fourth round score: Uncle Jack (Belles’) and Demented and Sad But Social (Belles’). These were your highest scoring weekend teams after four rounds pf play:

FRIDAY’S FINAL QUESTION (33.3% success rate):

–> On December 16, 1980, after this person passed away in Louisville, flags statewide were flown at half-staff for four days. For your wager, name this celebrity.

SATURDAY’S FINAL QUESTION (20.0% success rate):

–> Released in 1991, a self-titled album from this rock band recently became the fourth album in history to spend at least 500 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart. For your wager, name this music group.

The correct answers we were looking for included Colonel Sanders and Metallica. None of our weekend teams recorded a Perfect 21 this weekend. Here is your final weekend leaderboard as we kick off Season XIX: